All This and Heaven Too
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Part of our series. Peaceful times never seem to last. A sickness has come to Asgard, taking old and young alike with no clear connection between them. When even the Allfather falls ill, it becomes clear that no one is safe from it. Co-written with Gabrielle Day. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So begins another installment of our series. I am fully exhausted after my business trip this weekend, and also very grateful. Apparently there was a shooting in the area where we all went out Saturday night just a couple hours after we had left. No deaths, which is a huge blessing after the horrible shooting in Colorado last week. Prayers go out to those families, as well as the four people injured in Austin.

Oh, and we're back to post Thor and post Avengers. This takes place after "Breath of Life" and the short "Blinding."

Co-written with Gabrielle Day.

**All This and Heaven Too**

There was not often peace in the house of Odin, not true peace where all inhabitants within were at least cordial to one another and all inhabitants without had little complaint or pressing need. It had been a blessed past few months of such peace and the Allfather was almost certain it was to do with the peace between his sons, and between his sons and himself. He gave thanks every chance it came to mind, for he was old enough to know it would not last.

Odin sighed and waved the last of his messengers away, sinking into his seat at the large carved table where his people and advisors gathered. The last man was always the one to bear the worst news, Odin mused. "My peace cannot be ending so quickly," he murmured to himself. Rumors of sickness in the south. He would have to go and see and take Rowen with him.

He glanced up as the doors to the hall swung open and Thor backed in, hands raised in supplication. "I assure you I told Sif no such thing, brother!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"How would you know what you told Sif after all the ale you consumed? You could have told her anything and never have been the wiser!" Loki retorted, his expression more resigned than angry.

"I wouldn't have told her _that_," Thor argued.

"Stories of our long-ago youth really should stay there," his brother grumbled. "Good evening, Father. Perhaps you could encourage the future king of Asgard not to be so loose with his tongue around pretty maids when he's had a bit too much. Anyway, what ever happened to the mortal girl?"

"Jane? She is well."

Loki raised an eyebrow as if waiting for Thor to connect what he was getting at and then finally gave up. Sometimes he thought the thunder god deliberately ignored the innuendos more than missed them.

Thor grinned at his father and Odin did not miss the casual wink his eldest son gave him as he propped himself on the edge of the table. Odin allowed a small smile. Thor was joyful; Loki exasperated. All must be well in the universe.

"What news, Father?" Loki asked, slipping into the chair Thor had pushed back with his foot.

"Thankfully very little. No one is going to war, no one is putting cracks in the Bifrost, and no one is burning down someone else's shop or barn or tavern. There have been reports of some sort of sickness in the south. Rowen dispatched one of his apprentices to them days ago, but if it continues we shall go see what the trouble is. I think we shall go tomorrow either way, as I am in desperate need of fresh air. And your mother has informed me that the autumn festival is quickly approaching, so we must prepare for that."

"Lots of drinking." Thor said.

"And spending copious amounts of time in the library." Loki murmured.

"Your mother would prefer it if you did not drink in the library, and you both will be required to be present." Odin warned.

"Shall we go with you to the south?" Loki asked, cutting off Thor's protest.

"No, we shall only be gone for a day." Odin said.

"We shall endeavor not to start any wars or break the bridge while you are away," his youngest said with a very small smile.

"Again," their father added as he stood. "I should prepare for my travel. I will bid you both a good evening."

Loki watched silently and carefully as the Allfather left the room. Something wasn't right and Odin seemed a bit less at ease about the situation than he would have liked to have portrayed. Though he used the fresh air as an excuse, he had never needed one before to travel down south, or anywhere else for that matter. No, he always had a purpose behind his actions, and if the most powerful being in the Nine Realms was going to check on a little sickness, it caused the god of mischief to question the severity of the situation.

"You won't really lock yourself away for the festival, will you?" Thor asked almost sulkily.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Mother would only send you to fetch me, and then where would we all be?"

"Well, the last time ended with me serenading you from the top of the bookshelf ladder, if I remember correctly." Thor said.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, and as much as it pains me to tell you this, dear brother, your singing is not improved with the consumption of drink. Even great consumption of drink."

"You cut me to the quick." Thor said, his grin betraying his words. The blond watched his brother's smile fade and he followed the other's gaze to where their father had departed. "You think something is not right with father."

Loki looked up in surprise, and Thor tilted his head. "I beg you give me a small ounce of credit. His ways are as known to me as they are to you."

Loki gave a small sound of acknowledgement. "I think something is not right with Father," he agreed after a moment of thought.

"He is wise. He will not throw himself into danger unnecessarily."

"No, he leaves that to his eldest."

Thor laughed loudly. "I never go into danger without reason, even if you do not always agree with that reason. You should not fret. He will return without harm. After all, what could be so potent an illness that it would affect even the Allfather?"

"I don't fret over him," Loki snapped, a bit to quickly to cover himself. He frowned, curling himself up into the chair so that the heels of his boots were balanced on the edge and his knees were tucked under his chin.

"No, just as he does not fret over us." Thor said.

Loki shot him a dark look, which went ignored.

Thor leaned back on his elbows and gently nudged Loki's elbow with the toe of his boot. "We could always follow them down there, if it would make you feel better."

"No, it would not."

"Yes it would."

"No, it would not. Besides, even if it did, Father would know what we were doing. Our ways are as known to him as his are to us." Loki said.

"I cannot think of which is worse, facing Father's irritation if he catches us on the road behind him or being with you all day if you are sulking."

"No one said you had to tolerate my company." Loki grumbled.

Thor thought for several minutes before snapping his fingers. "I have it. We shall find the messenger that brought father the news of this illness and ask him what it is like. Then you can look it up in your books." he said, sounding quite pleased.

"Or we can just wait until he returns and ask him," the dark haired prince grumbled, standing to stalk out of the room. He couldn't place the source of his irritation, and a very tiny part of him fussed that he shouldn't take it out on his elder brother, but as Thor followed without question he squashed that tiny voice of conscious. Thor really did bring it on himself by egging him on in the way that he did.

"Are you going to go ask the messenger?" Thor asked as he matched stride with his smaller sibling.

"Why would I waste my time on that?"

"Because you're curious."

"I am not, and it's a terrible idea."

"It was a good idea, you just don't want to admit it."

"Why are you following me? Didn't you say you don't want to be around me today?"

"I said that I wasn't sure which was worse between your sulking and Father's irritation, and I'm following you to see what the messenger says." "I'm not going to see the damned messenger!"

"Really? I'm sure there's a plausible explanation on why you're going away from your chambers or the library and towards the healing rooms where he would be."

Loki stopped dead in his tracks, Thor making a short laughing sound as he barely managed to avoid clipping Loki's shoulder. "I am...damnation." he turned to Thor and lifted a finger in warning. "If we get there and happen to find that the messenger has not departed and if I so happen to feel like asking him a question, you will remain absolutely silent and allow me to speak with him."

Thor held up his hands, not for the first time that day and nor for the last. "As you wish."

Loki turned and resumed walking with a huff.

"Although it was my idea!" Thor called after him.

The brothers briefly said hello to Rowen as they passed the hastily packing lead-healer and found the young apprentice in one of the back rooms helping his master to finish the chores that could not be left undone before his departure.

Loki was sure that he had known him when they were younger, but it had been many centuries, and while they may have crossed each other's paths as children under the careful tutelage of some of the best mages in all of Asgard he could not recall much about him. He had, of course, surpassed the boy in their youth and went on to his own studies once he also surpassed the majority of the masters in their land. His old classmate had, apparently, gone on to study under Rowen as an assistant. He must have proved his worth as he had been sent ahead, alone, to give a full report.

Now he turned to the brothers, pale eyes showing his exhaustion, but he gave a deep bow, even if looking a bit wary of the dark haired sorcerer. "My princes," he greeted.

"You are the messenger that came to our father?" Thor asked without pause, cutting his brother off before any words left his lips.

"Yes, sire. Beck is my name."

Loki's hand briefly brushed the small of his back, and Thor gave a low hiss as his shirt froze to the skin there. The trickster offered Beck a disarming smile to distract him from his brother's sudden displeasure. "Beck. Would you be ever so kind and tell us what you told our father?"

Beck's gaze shifted between them, suddenly uneasy. Loki thought it had little to do with Thor's glaring at him. "Master Rowen has instructed that I not speak of it until they return, my princes."

"Well, as you know, Master Rowen and the Allfather are traveling away tomorrow. The king would be greatly assisted by whatever we could find while they were gone as I am quite familiar with researching such topics. You would be doing both the king and we humble princes a service by admitting to us this information." Loki said.

"The king wishes your assistance with this matter?" Beck asked. Thor opened his mouth and Loki touched his arm with cool fingers in warning. "Yes. Why else does a king have sons and advisors, but for times like these."

"Well, I suppose," Beck stammered, looking beyond the two brothers. "I really should let Master Rowen know..."

The smile broadened and Loki waved his hand in the air, as if dismissing the thought. "He's quite taken with his preparations. Please."

Beck seemed to realize that it was no longer a request and swallowed hard. "I don't know what's causing it," he began, "but many people in the southern parts of our lands are growing ill." He lowered his voice, as if fearing that he might be overhead. "Three have died already. Master Rowen fears, after I spoke of it, that there might be more. He called it a plague."

The two princes were silent for a moment, the chill in the air having nothing to do with Loki's talents. "I didn't think such a thing could even come to Asgard," Thor murmured.

"You must have some idea of what has caused it," Loki pressed.

"I do not. I swear it. It takes young and old alike, from the frailest of Asgardians to warriors that have never known a defeat. It crumbles them to their knees."

"Beck."

The two princes and the young assistant turned to see Rowen standing in the doorway.

"Master Rowen!" Beck exclaimed.

Rowen eyed them all, but addressed only his apprentice. "Would you please fetch Freya. There are tasks I must assign to her while I am away tomorrow." he asked.

Beck bowed to the princes and to his teacher before leaving as quickly as he could without actually dashing away.

Rowen shook his head. "The two of you are incorrigible. I know for fact that Odin has not requested your...assistance in this matter."

"With all do respect, Master Rowen, three deaths hardly constitutes a plague. There must be more to young Beck's report than even he realizes." Loki said, frowning.

"Aspiring healer now, are you my lord?" Rowen said with a wry smile. He eased himself into a seat with a soft "oof" before sighing. "You are right, of course. Three deaths hardly constitutes anything at all. Could have been an animal with poison in its blood that was slaughtered for festival, or some sort of small vicious creature sinking its teeth into soft flesh in the night. There are all sorts of things that it might be. What concerns me is that not one who has fallen ill has recovered. One of our fallen it took in one week, another one day. Beck brought news that near seven others are displaying symptoms...including the healer that lives there. That is why we must go."

"You think it could be an attack from outside Asgard?" Thor asked.

Rowen shrugged. "Your father wishes to dismiss the possibility."

Loki studied the healer's expression carefully. Illness and death from it was not unheard of in Asgard, but it certainly was not as prevalent as in places such as Midgard. If it began to spread there would be a panic in the outer cities and it would move inward, disrupting everything, including the ability to get a handle on the situation. "Will you isolate the cases?"

"I do not know our course of action until we arrive," Rowen sighed. "Now, if you will allow, I will say the same thing to you as I did when you were merely curious youths: off with you to something more productive than eavesdropping on my unproven theories and preparations. I assure you that if your father believes it is in Asgard's best interest to bring you into the situation, he will do so, otherwise he must have a reason for keeping you at arm's length. Good evening, my princes."

That was a dismissal if they had ever heard one, and before Thor could open his mouth to argue Loki had hold of his sleeve, pulling slightly as they headed for the door. "There is a time and a place," he said lowly.

"We are no longer curious youths." Thor complained.

"No. Now we are curious men backed by royal authority which I am sure is quite more troubling to him." Loki said.

"We did not even hear what the symptoms were."

"No, not that it would have done much. As he said, we are hardly aspiring healers. By the time we narrowed it down to anything useful they will have returned. I am afraid that we shall simply have to wait until tomorrow evening."

Their wait became much longer than they had anticipated. Odin and his head healer were gone long before the sun came up the next morning, with his wife watching his departure from one balcony and his sons watching from another. When the sun fell that evening and they had not returned, it took all of Loki's skills to coax his brother not to charge after them or go banging down Heimdall's door for information. By the time the sun had set on the second day, Loki did not try as hard to convince Thor not to go. When the sun set on the third day and there had been no sign of them, nor a messenger back, Loki and Thor were in the stables together preparing to go after their father.

Just as Thor was about to mount a servant's child tumbled into the stable. "My lords," he said breathlessly, "the king has returned."

* * *

TBC

A/N: First I meant to get this uploaded last night... That didn't happen, so I told myself "before I leave for work." Yeah, you see how well that went as well. So lunch break it is. Enjoy, and I hope you love it! (Oh, and no spoilers for the last ep of The Hollow Crown, if you watch it, please. I'm still catching up!)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ugh... This is why I avoid car trips... Even days later I'm stiff and sore...

On a happier note, thanks for the amazing reviews, as always! Onward!

* * *

The sons of Odin barely acknowledged the child as they took off back to the palace, slowing their pace only when they reached the halls. An uneasiness hung in the hair and several of their father's most trusted advisors stood in the outer halls as if they were waiting for something. An aging man by the name of Aegir turned to them, cloudy eyes troubled. He frowned for a moment and turned his words towards the elder prince. "Your father has returned."

"We had just received word," Thor answered. "Is he well? Has something happened?"

Aegir paused, eyes flickering around to those that surrounded them. "The Allfather has fallen ill."

"And they just now return?" Loki bit out.

"They have only just now been able to return," the advisor shot back, only adding the honorific "my prince" as an after thought.

Thor caught Loki's wrist, unsure if his brother planned to fling only words in Aegir's direction. "Why are you all standing here? Surely my father has gone to his chambers and is not in the Great Hall." he questioned.

A younger adviser called Sigfal nodded. "We believe so, my prince, but with the king's permission Master Rowen has prohibited us from going any farther until he sends word."

Loki and Thor exchanged glances. "Master Rowen is well, then?" Loki asked.

"As far as we can see. The king entered under his own volition, but he was not moving with ease." Sigfal said.

"We should have not permitted the queen to pass." Aegir said.

"The day you can stop Queen Frigga from doing as she sees fit regarding her family is the day you get to sit yourself on the throne." Sigfal said under his breath.

"No such orders were given to us." Thor said firmly, stepping forward.

"My prince, it is not wise to proceed!" Aegir said, taking hold of Thor's arm as if to stop him.

"We are not children, Aegir. If my brother wishes to enter, he knows the risks. Do not treat him as a fool that rushes in without though." Loki's voice was low and dangerous, causing the grey haired man to step back from them both. There were many days when he thought his brother to rush in past most good judgment, but he would be damned if anyone other than himself should call him on it, and certainly not a pompous old windbag that he knew had done all he could to have him thrown to the wolves - so to speak - as often as he thought he might get by. Green eyes stayed locked on him for only a moment more before sliding to look at Thor. "Shall we?"

Thor was looking at him with a mix of surprise and affection. "Yes." he said.

Loki followed Thor through the door, sending one last glare at Aegir before the carved wood swung shut behind him. "Do not look so smug. He gets away with saying too much because he is old." Loki said with indignation as his brother grinned broadly.

"And you get away with saying much because you are a prince." Thor returned without malice.

"Better that than getting away with _destroying _much because I am a prince." Loki said.

"It is very fortunate that we are both princes, then." Thor said, trying to look serious. Loki could not stop the small smile that crossed his lips.

At the end of the hall, another door opened and a very haggard looking Beck appeared. "My princes, please do not come any further."

"We have already passed the point in which we were supposed to be stopped, why turn back now? After all, past that door only leads to another hallway, and down one of those halls are our own chambers." Loki waited for Beck to move, his argument leaving much to interpretation, but Beck stood his ground.

"We do not know who this illness might affect, my lords. Master Rowen has instructed that you both must stay outside these doors... Surely there is a place in which you might stay outside of your own chambers until we have cleansed the inner halls of this disease."

"Master Rowen may have instructed you, but he does not instruct us," Thor growled out, irritation getting the better of him. "Stand aside."

Beck looked like he might pass out, but braced himself against the door as if he might withstand any blow Thor could deal him. "No, my prince, respectfully I assure you, but I cannot let you enter. If I permitted it and you caught this illness and perished I would be charged with the death of a son of Odin and I really would rather not."

Thor drew himself to full height and Loki tilted his head so that his ears would not take the full onslaught of the shouting that was about to ensue. "You listen to me, healer's apprentice," Thor boomed.

Loki forced himself not to smile. The door cracked open from behind Beck and the young man quickly moved aside to allow Frigga to enter. "My sons," she greeted softly.

"Mother, we will not wait out here," Thor said, his voice somewhat calmer than it might have been.

"Rowen has made himself very clear: to keep this from spreading he is attempting to keep it contained within the inner walls. If you come in you will not be given the ability to leave. Heed your mother's wishes, Thor, and stay out a bit longer. Your father is very ill and you both might be susceptible to it."

"It won't harm us, Mother, you will see. We will enter."

She stood her ground for several long moments, her eyes locked with her eldest son's. At last, she turned to Loki. "Can't you speak with him?" she begged.

"You know how he gets. There is no swaying him."

"Do no speak of me as if I do not stand here!"

Frigga sighed. "You are your father's son," she conceded with a bit of sadness coloring her voice. "I beg of you, make your visit very brief and retreat to your own chambers. No one has entered there. Perhaps we might come out of this well enough with all of the stubborn men of this family!"

They walked briskly, determinedly, as if the sons of Asgard thought yet one more opponent to their destination might pop up and force them away. Before they reached their father's door, Loki stopped suddenly and took Thor's arm. "Thor, we should make our visit brief as mother has asked. Please," his plea cutting off Thor's assurances, "you must realize that if this is an illness that can take...that can make father sick it could make you sick too. You might not be beyond its reach. I...my differences will exempt me, but if this were to claim you..." Loki looked up at him, his true fears unable to find a voice.

For once, Thor understood and nodded, momentarily covering Loki's hand with his own. "We'll be very quick. Just to see him."

His younger brother nodded his thanks, unable to quite voice it after the admittance, and followed him in. Their parents' chambers had always been a safe place. During their childhood it had been the only room - save perhaps either of their own - that they were not the king of Asgard and two princes, but a father and his sons.

Now, it seemed heavy with sickness in the air and Rowen looked up tiredly from his place. "You should not have come," he breathed out, appearing anxious. "Rash and foolish boys."

"We are here now, you might as well allow us to see him for a moment," Thor encouraged, taking the lead in words as well as stride. He approached the bed where his father lay popped up on many pillows, trying to ease his labored breathing.

Odin's good eye eased open. "If he spoke of rashness and foolishness, I had little doubt," he rasped. "Could you not have waited?"

"We meant to give you comfort, Father," Thor answered, his tone not hiding the sting that he felt.

Odin gave a small smile, not able to explain that he needed his heir strong and healthy if the worst were to come about, not battling the same illness. He glanced over to where his adopted son stood several feet back and the Allfather shifted so that he was sitting more. "Loki, come. I need a moment in private with you, my son."

The trickster moved forward, trading places with his elder brother. "I'll see you in a moment," Thor murmured, and Loki knew he would be waiting for him. Rowen gave a small bow and exited along with Frigga and Thor, leaving Odin and Loki alone.

The young sorcerer knew with one look that his father had come to the same conclusion as he had: he was the least likely to be affected by all of this, not truly being of Asgard. "What may I do for you, Father?" he asked at last, sinking into the chair next to his bed.

Odin took a deep breath. "Rowen says that in all his many years he has not seen such an illness as this. We were not there four hours before I began feeling as the people there described the symptoms. Loki, it is still true that no one who has surrendered to this has survived."

"You shall be the first. You have the finest healers here, the finest mages, and you are the Allfather." Loki said firmly.

Odin reached out and patted his arm. "Oh, my son. If only the certainty of youth could conquer all. All men would be kings with very fine lovers. Loki, you must keep Thor away from here. Keep him as far from this as you can; if he listens to anyone it is you."

"I will do everything that I can, Father." Loki promised.

Odin nodded, his eyes drifting closed. "And Loki, if the worst should happen, you must prepare yourself to rule. It will not be easy at first, some may still distrust you. You will have your mother's support. Look after her."

Loki felt something tighten within his chest and he pushed it down. Without realizing it, he had grabbed Odin's hand and clutched it tightly in his own. "Father?"

There was no response as Odin Allfather slept, peacefully unaware of the suffering that his body was under. Loki looked at the man who had lied to him more years than he had not, the man that had stolen - saved? - him from his own birthplace and kidnapped - rescued? - him for a purpose all to his own. He looked at the man he had loved, hated, and was trying to accept again. The man that, no matter how far Loki's heart sank, he always wanted to please. Tears would not be shed for him. No, those were reserved for two beings and two alone, but he felt something shift deeply within him as he took in the ill form of his father. His pale, drawn skin showed signs of struggle in the journey home, and there was a wadded handkerchief that Rowen had not yet disposed of, spotted here and there with blood. "No more harm shall come to our family while you sleep," Loki vowed and kissed the aging Allfather's hand. He stood, finally convincing himself to release it, and moved to leave the room.

Frigga was waiting just outside the door and reached up to stroke his face and kiss his cheek before returning to her husband's side. Thor had been sitting on the floor, several feet away but stood when he saw his brother. Loki searched his face for any signs of fever or tiredness or discomfort.

His brother frowned. "Loki?" he called softly.

The trickster moved towards him without thinking. He would be fine. No, they would be fine. Odin Allfather would not end his reign by losing a battle to some fever from the south and they would not lose their golden prince -_my fire in winter_- as heir. This was no fate for the house of Odin.

Loki had to force himself to stop walking when he reached his brother, to not just walk right into him and wrap his arms around him and cast some spell that would protect him from this faceless villain. But there were things for which even the silver-tongued son had no words.

Thor took the initiative to grab hold of his brother, pulling him close and forcing him into the embrace. He held him until Loki's thin arms wrapped around him slowly and they stood for a moment, no worry of those that might judge them approaching without warning. For the first time in their lives they were in their own home and did not have to watch every step they took outside of their own private chambers.

Finally Thor released him and Loki took a step back somewhat reluctantly. "It's been a long last few days," the god of thunder murmured. "Shall we get some rest so that we might be of actual help tomorrow?"

"You're not planning to return in there, are you?"

"We'll see in a few hours if I'm as immune as I believe, but I can assure you, brother, I will not fall ill."

"I should hope not, or I will personally travel to Valhalla to retrieve you."

Thor chuckled, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulders. "What makes you think I'm going to Valhalla?"

Loki snorted. "You are Thor," he said, as if that were enough.

"Perhaps we should worry over you, dear brother. You have given one too many compliments today. Are you well?" Thor laughed.

Loki made a soft sound of agreement and the brothers walked through the maze of inner halls to their chambers. Thor had Loki stop at his chambers -Loki refused to admit it but his brother always did manage to take the best wine away from the cellars- and the brothers talked late into the night as they had not done in many, many years.

* * *

It was late morning when Loki woke, sprawled on one half of his brother's bed. He allowed himself a small smile and a moment simply to lie in peace, staring at the soft blue sky through the open doors that led onto the balcony and listening to his brother's breathing punctuated by quiet snores. A thought occurred to him and he sat up quickly, smacking Thor's shoulder.

Thor woke with an annoyed grunt. "What?" the god grumbled.

"I need a list of the dead." Loki announced.

"Well good morning to you as well, dear brother."

Loki smacked him again. "No, listen. This is unprecedented in Asgard. There must be something that links those that become ill. Come on, come on, get up." Loki insisted as Thor rolled over.

"Don't you think that Master Rowen would have looked at that already?"

"When would he have had time? He's been too busy caring for the ill to research the cause. Up!"

Thor gave another roll and all but fell out of bed. "If you could get a list - even an updated one - how will you know anything about them? It's not like we can simply travel to the south and meet with their families at this point," Thor pointed out with a wide stretch.

Loki tugged his boots onto his feet. "No, but there are extensive records within the libraries, even the ones within the inner walls. We have to try."

Thor nodded in agreement, trying to push the sleep down. His brother stopped on his way to the door, turning so that he was staring straight at him. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine."

The trickster eyed him as if he were trying to determine the validity of the statement. He nodded after a moment and turned on heel, nearly flying out the door after his list.

Thor grinned and shook his head, not bothering with his shoes. "You, there! Bring my brother and I breakfast to the library. Make it a large meal." He shouted at a servant down the hall. He received a bow before the man vanished around a corner.

He arrived in the library just before the food not quite a half hour later, no sign of his brother in the stacks of bound tomes. "Just leave it there." Thor told the servant, who laid the meal and departed. Thor sat, picking items from the plates.

As expected, Loki appeared as the smells drifted through the room. "What is that?" the trickster called.

"Food. You should have some."

"Just a moment. I think I may have found something." Loki said.

More minutes passed. "Loki?" Thor finally called.

"Bring me a plate." Loki consented. The dark haired god was hunched over no less than four different books. "It's just that...I think this might be...thank you...what page did I see that on?" he murmured.

Thor pointed to a handwritten list. "Is this the list?"

"Yes."

Thor studied it for a moment. "Gods. Legar was not spared?"

"Apparently not. He was the very tall one with the axe, wasn't he? Best I remember could cast a spell that made him almost invisible until he was right on you. Caught you unawares a time or two."

"I let him," Thor sniffed and stuffed another cake into his mouth. "Any links yet?"

Loki sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I thought I had, but then I lost it," he murmured. He reached for one of the books, pausing as if he had lost his train of thought, and merely hovered there for a moment.

"Loki?" Thor called quietly, reaching out to touch his brother's shoulder.

The younger prince startled a bit. "Yes? Sorry. I think the wine from last night did not set well with me."

Thor's eyebrows knit in worry and his hand moved to Loki's cheek and his lips turned downward. "Your warm."

"Don't be stupid, Thor."

Thor frowned, but dropped his gaze back to the list, calling off three more names he knew. "All good men." he murmured.

Loki bit into a piece of bacon, an indulgence Thor would occasionally slip back from Midgard. He froze, mind whirling. "Start with Legar. Read those names again." he ordered softly. His brother complied and Loki closed his eyes. Not a coincidence, then, and he should have seen it sooner.

Wiping his hands on the front of his tunic he stood. There might not be much time, but at least he could take comfort in the one trait Thor did not share with Odin. The one trait that he did share with his father. "I need to talk to Rowen."

"Loki?" Thor called.

The younger man did not heed him and nearly ran from the room. He was stumbling by the time he reached Odin's chambers and Rowen met him outside the room as he exited.

"Prince Loki. Are you well?"

"Magic." Loki gasped. "All your victims are practitioners of magic."

Understanding lit in Rowen's eyes. "Of course. That would explain...but that means...oh, my prince."

Loki waved his hand away, his own going to his chest. It had taken some in one day, he thought. Rowen was speaking to him but he no longer heard. His eyes searched the hall, his chest growing tighter with every second. He turned and saw that which he sought. "Thor," he gasped. He was in his brother's arms before he hit the ground.

* * *

TBC

A/N: The way we go about writing these stories is in Yahoo chat, so we tend to taper off in the middle of story lines and make comments (and send tumblr links... lots of tumblr links... lots of Hiddleston...). One such comment was made during the writing of the library scene by our dear, wonderful Gabrielle Day: "apparently watching six episodes of Hawaii 5-0 makes me want to write domestic scenes ^^;;" I just about died laughing. Anyway... Gotta love H50 (and if you do, feel free to meander over to Gabrielle Day's page and you'll find a series that we wrote of oneshots called "Because You're Always Right" with epic Steve and Danno bromance.)

So, if you would be so kind as to review, it always makes the day a little better. =)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the grammatical errors. I've been hearing about them from several different reviewers, so they must be fairly obvious. Rather embarrassing, and I do apologize.

Secondly, I just wanted to let you know that Gabrielle Day wrote a Thor and Loki short over on her page. I don't know if it's technically tied to our series, but it's fantastic. Large amounts of childhood cuteness and fluff. Seriously. Go take a look. Do it now. =P

Otherwise, once you've done that, please enjoy the next installment (that I'm hopefully going to be able to read through enough on my lunchbreak to get put up for you lol)!

* * *

"Loki! Loki?"

Thor shot Rowen a fearful look as he held onto his brother's now trembling form. He'd grown pale, as if his complete absorption in the task of discovery had dammed the symptoms of the disease up, but the understanding of the link had brought that dam crumbling down.

"I don't understand. You shouldn't be ill," Thor whispered. "Rowen?"

"It affects those with the natural gift of magic. Your father, Loki, all the men and women in the south that were taken in by it..."

"But not you," Thor pointed out, cradling his brother.

"I was not born with that gift. Mine is learned," Rowen explained. "Come. I have not been idle. I've come up with a potion that seems to at least delay the end results. It may yet buy us time to find a cure."

Thor carefully pulled Loki into his arms and followed Rowen into a ready spare room that was much closer than the brother's own chambers. Rowen shouted for his apprentices to bring him various materials and ingredients as Thor eased his brother onto the bed and sat beside him.

Loki turned toward him. "You should go. You have some of Odin's magic within you." he said, his grasp on Thor's arm contradicting his words even as he spoke them.

Thor pushed dark hair out of Loki's face. "If I was meant to catch this thing it would have happened by now. I will not leave you." Thor said firmly.

"He's right. Between seeing Odin and being with you all evening and again this morning, if he was to come down with it we'd have seen it by now. It had Odin down in hours, as did it you, my prince." Rowen assured Loki.

The god of thunder brushed his fingers against Loki's forehead. "You're burning up, Loki."

The younger prince leaned into his brother's touch, his hands feeling surprisingly cool against warm skin. He felt as if he were suffocating in the heat, but his body trembled as if he were cold. It reminded him of the reaction that he had had to the fire magic he had tried to use and gave a low groan.

"The fever could be one of the more dangerous side effects for him," Rowen said he took up small basin of water and clean cloth. "Keep him cool."

Thor nodded and took the cloth and basin from him, dipping it down into the water and putting it across the younger prince's forehead. "He was well this morning when we rose."

"It comes on very suddenly," the healer murmured, glancing out the door for his ordered supplies. "Your father did much the same. He was looking over notes on the cases one moment and swayed the next." He frowned. "Where is that blasted boy with what I ordered?" Rowen stepped into the hall to shout for Beck and Freya again.

"It's so very hot." Loki murmured.

Thor sank more rags in the cool water and replaced the one he'd just put against Loki's forehead; the first cloth was already warm. "As soon as Rowen has given you the medicine I will have one of the them fetch ice. That will help, I am sure of it."

Loki nodded listlessly. "Thor...we've seen what fevers can do to men if...if the fever cannot be broken. Do not let me...put me out of my misery, I plead of you. I could not bear having an unsound mind."

"That will not happen. I promise." Thor murmured.

Rowen came back in, followed by his two students. "Mix that in that bowl there. Be quick about it. We have not the time we need." he commanded, and moved to the other side of the bed, hand directing Loki's face so that he was looking at him with glazed eyes. "I don't like how quickly it's spiked," he muttered almost to himself. "Keep changing that out."

Thor nodded, dunking the cloth again. He murmured softly to his brother, but his voice faded in and out of Loki's thoughts. He could feel the pain grip at his chest a little more with every breath, as if each gasp was pushing the ailment further through his body. He closed his eyes against it, trying to focus on steadying himself. He could feel Thor's rising panic and he reached out blindly for his hand. He couldn't allow Thor to panic. Not yet. He would be useless or worse if he panicked. One large hand gripped his, holding on as if his very life depended on it. Loki cracked on green eye open. "It will be all right," he whispered, giving his best charming smile even through the pain.

Thor's responding smile was tentative but genuine. "You are taking the words I should be offering you, brother."

"I need no words from you, you are here and that is enough." Loki said softly, eyes drifting shut.

Rowen brought over the bowl with the completed mixture. "Loki? I need you to stay awake right now. You will need to swallow this paste, my prince. It will be bitter." Rowen called.

Loki forced himself to open his eyes again as Rowen spooned the medicine into his mouth. He coaxed the sick prince through four spoonfuls before he could take no more.

"His fever is too high, my lord." Freya murmured, feeling Loki's skin.

Rowen bit his lip. "Give the medicine a few moments. If it does not come down we will have to think of something else. For Loki...we may have to try something else all together. Freya, take Beck and fetch more of the pale leaves and the book on the left side of my desk." She bowed and they left. As soon as they were gone Rowen laid a hand on Thor's shoulder. "You may have to take him to the Frost Pool. I do not like to do it, but if we do not bring his body temperature down soon it could kill him faster than the illness. It will take magic to undo this, my boy, and great skill."

"Should we move him?" Thor asked, blue eyes latched onto his brother's trembling form. His eyes were closed tightly and he looked to have fallen into a fitful, light sleep at least for the moment. His cheeks, usually pale, were colored to the point that it reminded his brother of a sunburn.

"We may not have a choice." Rowen glanced at the door and then back to the brothers. "I cannot leave out for that length, though neither of my apprentices know his... unique situation."

"Then I will take him alone, if that's what should be done."

Rowen nodded. "His body is burning straight through the medication. There will be no slowing the sickness until his fever is broken." He went to the table and covered a second bowl before placing it in a satchel and giving it to the older brother. "Take this. Give it to him as soon as the fever breaks. You put yourself at some risk, the water in the pool is fit for only someone with your brother's constitution. You may become ill, of a more general nature."

Thor secured the package to his belt and shrugged. "I will put myself in the path of a cough if it means saving my brother's life. Its waters are not unknown to me." he said.

Rowen nodded. "I am a healer, my prince, I must at least warn you. Go now, as quickly as you can."

Thor scooped Loki up, the heat the sorcerer was generating instantly warming his chest. Loki instinctively brought a hand up and grasped Thor's tunic at the shoulder. "Hold tightly, brother." Thor said.

Loki was lost to his fevered dreams, but Thor found he was still able to move quickly. His brother had become thinner during his recovery from their time in Jotun, and Thor barely felt the weight of him in his arms. He made it into the gardens and walked until he reached the outer wall, easily finding the garden gate that led into the outer gardens where the pool was fed by the frozen streams from outside the palace. "We are almost there." Thor said, almost to himself.

Loki gave a small groan in response, but his brother wasn't sure if he had actually heard him. He stopped at their destination, easing the younger prince to the ground as he quickly tugged his boots from his feet. Next came his outer tunic, leaving only his thin shirt and trousers. Carefully he pulled his far-too-still brother back into his arms and moved towards the pool. He could stand in it, he knew, for this was not the first time he had entered it. Many years ago one of his distant cousins had dared the elder prince of Asgard to prove himself by entering the frigid waters. Thor had never been one to turn down a challenge and had, much to his younger brother's dismay, jumped straight into the magic waters. It had been cold as ice, he remembered, but the enchantment kept it from solidifying. Thor had spent the next two days in his chambers, his mother fussing over him and his brother chiding him lightly. All things considered, he would much prefer to be returning to those waters because of a dare, and not for fear of his younger brother's life. "I've got you," he whispered and started in.

The water was colder than he remembered, which Thor attributed to the adrenaline and vigor of youth warming him the last time he had descended. It was even colder than the time Loki had frozen him into the stream, arms pinned to his side as retaliation for some prank or another. The frigid water passed his knees and when it reached his thighs it also slipped over Loki's feet. Thor grit his teeth and waded into the water until it he was chest deep, Loki's head and shoulders supported against him above the waterline. Thor imagined it was similar to what standing naked on Jotunheim would feel like, or being buried in a snowdrift. "This is what is most comfortable for you, then, brother? 'Tis little wonder that you were always happier in winter." Thor said.

Glassy eyes slid open and Loki sighed softly. "Warm." he muttered.

"Short of taking you all the way to Jotunheim, this is the best I can do. Give your body a moment to cool." Thor replied. He could feel Loki's heartbeat under his hands.

Loki's face scrunched. "Do not wish...to go back there." he rasped.

"I was jesting. I would freeze Asgard myself before I allowed you to return there." Thor vowed. Worry bit into the back of his mind. If the pool was not enough, he did not know how he would help Loki.

Very slowly Loki's breathing seemed to ease and he shifted against his brother. The sharp red faded to pink across his face and he began to blink against the fog. Thor thought it might be working - it must be working - when Loki's green eyes slid up to look at him and not through him. "Where are we?" he managed, his voice rough.

"The F-frost Pool... on the out-ter edge," Thor stuttered, teeth chattering.

"What...?"

"Your f-fever wouldn't break. There was no other way."

"Get out, you dolt! You'll catch your death and what point would that make?"

Thor never let him go as he began to stiffly move to the outer bank. He thought his brother must have still been suffering the effects when he did not demand to be put down as soon as he realized how he was being held.

Thor got them to the bank and helped Loki out of the water and into the grass before hauling himself out and collapsing, rolling on his back so his face was tilted towards the sun. He felt Loki move next to him. "No. I'm fine. My things should be near, and you need to take the medicine that's in the satchel." Thor said without opening his eyes. He could hear Loki cursing him under his breath as the trickster reached over and grabbed the bundle of items Thor had abandoned on the bank.

"This is terrible." Loki muttered.

"Not the worst you have endured, I think." the thunder god replied.

"Endure. We should have reached our fill of enduring by now. You're still shivering. You haven't the sense the gods gave a goat." Loki said, scooting closer and dropping his brother's vest on top of him.

"How do you feel?" Thor asked, ignoring the slight.

"Unwell, but no longer as if I am on fire inside my own skin." Loki studied his brother, shivering in the sunlight. Had it been anyone else, he would have expected complaints or grand statements of valor or danger, and had they been in battle Thor would have done those things. As it was, he merely laid there in the grass, frozen to the bone and still looking content. "A goat." Loki repeated under his breath.

Thor cracked an eye open. "Are you getting feverish again?"

"It is not gone, but it is certainly better." All he wanted to do was lie down and sleep. He could still taste the bitter medicine on his tongue and he looked to the last spoonful he would have to choke down. Finally he shoved it in his mouth, swallowed, and tried not to gag as his stomach turned. He gave a low groan and almost gave into the deep desire to fall down to the grass entirely. "We should get you home," he said instead.

"I'll warm up here," Thor managed, his teeth still clenched shut against the cold.

"Not in wet clothes you won't." Slowly Loki got to his knees, positioning his feet under him. The cold felt good against his skin and he wondered how they never realized just how different he really was. The world swayed dangerously as he stood. His hands went out immediately to keep from falling. "We should get you home," he said again, closing his eyes against the spinning landscape. If Thor couldn't stand he had no idea how he was going to get him back. If he could get the blond to his feet, they might be able to help each other back.

"Come here." Thor said.

Loki started to protest, but all that escaped him was a sigh. He sat back on the grass and moved closer to his brother, who was as cold as he had been warm earlier and it was a relief to be near him. "Just for a few minutes. Then we should go back before Rowen thinks we've both gone and died out here." he said, lying down so his head was near Thor's shoulder.

"Just a few minutes. We should not tarry any longer than that, anyway, in the event that he discovers what the cause is and how to fix it." Thor agreed.

Loki was already drifting to sleep, his temple pressed against his brother's arm, still blessedly cool. In the twilight between wakefulness and true sleep, Loki could almost imagine that they were children again, before they knew anything of kings or monsters or fear or grief. Thor's soft snores filled his ears and he smiled, and finally fell asleep when Thor's hand covered his own.

* * *

Thor woke some time later. He could not have told just how long it was, but his clothes had begun to dry in the warm sun. He shifted, forgetting for just a moment why they were there and finding his younger brother sleeping beside him. The unnatural pallor of his skin and the unsteadiness of his breathing reminded him of the real danger that was lurking, only delayed by the bitter potion, not stopped.

"Thor?" The god of thunder glanced over, seeing Freya standing and wringing her hands together in a slightly nervous motion. They had been close, once, as he had grown close to many pretty maids over the years. It had not lasted, as most did not, but they were still kind to one another. Perhaps she was a bit kinder than she should be. "Master Rowen was worried when you did not return."

"It was cold. We fell asleep," the prince answered, shifting slightly. His brother gave a small cough and nestled closer in his sleep. Thor smiled, knowing that Loki would deny the action until his death if asked about it.

Freya knelt down to them, reaching out to check them both. "You should not fall asleep just because you are cold."

"We did not sleep much last night, either. Has Rowen found anything?"

Freya shook her head. "Nothing that is definitive, I'm afraid. He has sent for a healer that used to serve in the palace long ago to see if he knows of any magic that would cause this. And if it is a spell masked as an ills, or a spell that is an illness it may take even more time."

Thor swallowed, throat suddenly tight. He reached absently for his brother, hand resting on his arm. "What of our father?"

"He holds true, my lord. But word has come from the south; two more have died."

"Only the south?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Then perhaps the sorcerer behind this plot is in the south."

"And perhaps his intent has been fulfilled, with the house of Odin in peril." Freya agreed. Loki stirred. "I shall go back and tell Master Rowen that you and your brother are coming. Do not be long." she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. She drew up her skirts and whisked away, almost silent as her bare feet moved through the grass.

Thor smiled. Perhaps his brother was not the only one who could be charming. He touched Loki's cheek. "Brother, we must return." he called softly.

Loki gave another small groan and looked very much like a child unwilling to be woken. "Tired," he complained.

"Shall I carry you home?"

"No."

Thor chucked, smoothing dark hair back. "Then you must be able to stand on your own or that is what I will do." He shifted himself up, feeling the stiffness in his body from the cold that was only now beginning to melt away. His head felt stuffy and he was sure that by the next morning he would be shaking the entire palace with his sneezes. It would be worth it though.

Green eyes sluggishly opened and their owner began to sit up. He put a hand to his head, feeling the world spin. "He's going to make me take more of that dreadful potion as soon as we set foot back, isn't he?"

"It is likely." Thor stooped to help haul the younger prince to his feet.

Loki got to his feet with Thor's help and much less grace than he was accustomed to displaying. He swayed and held onto Thor, resting his forehead against his brother's chest momentarily. "I wonder how long it can delay the inevitable." he said.

"Do not say such things. Once we get back maybe you will have the strength to look at some of the things he has found. Your knowledge is unrivaled." Thor said, bringing a hand up to cradle the back of Loki's head. He pressed a kiss into the dark hair. "You will be well. I know it. Come."

"If only your faith were a spell." Loki said.

Thor beamed at him. "Perhaps it is."

They returned to the palace slowly, and found Rowen waiting for them once they reached the inner gardens. "I know that the both of you are princes and are entitled to take the time you like and that I serve at your leisure but perhaps the two of you could resist the temptation of brinkmanship every great once in a while." the healer said mildly.

Thor gave a laugh and Loki a strained smile. "I'm afraid we know of no other way," the dark haired prince murmured.

Rowen shook his head. "To bed with you. You'll do no one any good wandering about at this point." He turned to look at Thor. "Keep him there." Green eyes flickered to meet blue. "You know he's saying that so you'll rest as well. There's no escaping the fact that you just plunged yourself into enchantedly cold water."

Thor continued to grin and ushered Loki towards their chambers. He left the trickster alone only long enough to change into clothes that did not feel as if they had been frozen to his body and returned to find Loki laid out on his own bed, eyeing a small bowl of medicine as if it were a snake ready to strike. "You'll have to take that," his brother murmured.

"Eventually," Loki conceded. "Perhaps in a few minutes."

Thor shook his head, halfway falling to the other side of the bed and burring himself down into the silk sheets.

A soft knock interrupted his hand straying towards the bowl. "Enter." Loki called, grateful for the reprieve. Beside him, Thor did not stir.

Frigga entered, a relieved smile crossing her weary features when she saw them. "Loki." She came and sat by him on the bed, stroking his hair away from his face. "Oh, my son, I am so grateful your fever is broken. Rowen and Freya have been bringing me news." She kissed his brow.

Loki ducked his head. "I feel better than I have a right to do so, thanks to him." he said, titling his head towards Thor.

"Yes, I heard of that as well. I was concerned if not surprised. Your father has been asking about you so I thought I should come and see for myself. The report will make him glad. Rowen will find a cure, I'm sure of it. Oh, and your Father agreed to send riders South as Thor suggested. Fandral is leading them." Frigga took the bowl and offered it to Loki. "Either you take this or I shall feed it to you myself."

"He really is your trueborn son." Loki said with a wry smile. With a sigh he began the next dose. "Father has asked after me? He is well enough to be speaking? When did Thor suggest rider's to the south?" he asked.

"Of course asks after you. He almost forced his way out of bed when he heard you had fallen ill. Freya said when she had spoken to Thor he had suggested sending riders to the south to inquire after unusual happenings or persons, since all the victims have been there save for you and your father."

"I did not know they had spoken." Loki said, casting a suspicious eye at his sleeping brother.

Frigga smiled the knowing smile that only a mother might. Her boys had grown to men, but some things were very much the same as they had been in their youth. Granted, there had been a time of detour, a time of anger and hurt beyond anything that she had thought their family could survive, but to see them like this, comfortable once again in each other's presence - more than comfortable, but happy - was beyond what she had dared hoped. She couldn't imagine that it could end now. She couldn't allow herself to think of it at all.

It only took a few moments for Loki to find his pillow after taking the potion, its work beginning once again. Frigga placed a kiss on his forehead, finding more warmth than usual, but certainly nowhere near what Rowen had described to her. "Sleep well, my dears," she murmured softly and stepped from the room.

* * *

TBC

A/N: Please continue to let us know what you think! It truly does make our day!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Much shorter chapter, I'm sorry. Life's running a bit crazy right now. I thought better a short chapter than nothing =D

* * *

He noticed the heat first, and while one very distant part of his mind reminded him that his fever might have increased again, another simply explained it away with the heat of the sun bearing down on him. He stood in its rays, squinting and searching. He knew not what for just yet, but he was certain that there was something that he needed to find. He wandered the halls of the palace - when had the stone and marble begun to soak in such heat? - and found his way to the throne room. Four pyres had been built in the middle of the large room, so high that he could not see the top.

"Come, my prince," Aegir sneered, suddenly at his side. "You shouldn't want to be late."

"Late to what?" Loki questioned, knowing that even that was not the question that should be asked.

"The end of the royal family," another voice said and he turned to see the tired apprentice of Rowen. He wore such an honest expression that Loki found his eyes searching for the bodies that he knew to be lying on top of the wood in the way that one always knows things in a dream.

"You should not wish to miss the journey to Valhalla with them, my prince." Aegir said, motioning to the last pyre.

Rowen stood by it sadly. "It is the only way; to purge out the illness." Loki swallowed and tried to back away only to find himself rooted to the spot.

"No. Where are they? Where is my family?" he demanded.

Both Aegir and Rowen motioned to the pyres. "Already on their way. You must hurry."

He knew it could not be true, but he looked across the room. His mother's crown lay at the foot of the first. Mjolnir rested at the foot of the second; the one that bore his brother. And Odin's helm adorned the third. "Your father knew this would happen. He would fall and only you would be left. Only you. You are not worthy of rule." Aegir said. He repeated the mantra, Rowen's voice echoing in his ears that it was the only way.

Loki covered his ears. "It is not true. It is not true." he said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly they were gone and it was silent. Loki opened his eyes to see the pyres remained, but that Odin stood in front of the one that should have been his own. "Father." Loki said desperately.

"You are not worthy." Odin said, voice cold. "You are not worthy, not even of the name Odinson." he said.

The pyres lit and he was dragged by unseen shadows towards his own. Loki cried out, screamed, and fought but it was no use. As the flames reached out for him, all he could hear was Odin's voice in his ears, beckoning him into the flames.

He sat up with a scream deep in his throat, only barely choked back before it verbalized. He could feel his body shaking under the weight of the nightmare and he glanced to see Thor was still snoring softly where he'd curled up some hours before. His brother was safe, but something kept nagging him.

Loki was on his feet and quietly out the door to his chambers before he could stop himself. He made no noise as he moved down the hall, feeling his chest constrict in protest. He reached the large, ornate doors that led to his father's throne room. Rowen had long since required all but necessary servants to return home and away from the halls to keep the disease from spreading, and it left the corridors dreadfully quiet.

The doors echoed as they opened, Loki pushing against them and finding his strength greatly diminished. He forced himself to look inside, finding no pyres standing there. He sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands while allowing a moment of weakness in the silence.

He heard the sound of footsteps behind him and whirled, nearly toppling to one side, to find the Allfather standing in the doorway, looking still very ill as he pulled a cloak around his shoulders to keep the cold away from him.

"It is not a very comfortable seat, I am afraid, if you have come to remind yourself of the feel." Odin said. It was meant lightly, but feeling unwell made him sound grave and even the small smile he offered with the statement could not stop the words from being the wrong ones at the wrong moment.

Loki's face crumpled. "_No._" He rasped, tears spilling down his flushed cheeks. He took a deep breath. "I wanted so much for so long to be like you, to be favored by you, to share something with you. What is it that they say on Earth? Be careful what you wish for. I had never wished for us to be bound like this." he whispered.

Odin stepped forward, exhaustion lining his face. Slowly he made his way until he was standing before his youngest son. With a stifled groan he managed to kneel so that they were almost level with one another. "We are bound by so much more, my son," the Allfather managed. They sat there a moment, the king and prince of Asgard seated on the marble floor of the throne room. He allowed Loki to regain what he could of his composure before speaking again. "What brought you to this place?"

"I had a dream," his son answered, feeling very foolish now. "I needed to make sure it wasn't real."

"Did you find anything lingering?"

Loki shook his head, regretting the action as the room spun. "No," he managed after a moment. "Thankfully, no."

"Mmm," Odin hummed thoughtfully. "Your brother does not know you're here, does he?"

"I don't believe so. He was asleep when I left the room."

"He and your mother will be quite angry with us, roaming the halls when we should be resting. I seem to remember a little one many, many years ago that I would find in all places at all hours, having dreamt something terrible."

"I usually found myself in Thor's room," Loki admitted softly.

"Or in your mother's lap. She has always been better at comforting than I." Odin sighed.

Loki smiled, understanding the gentle admission. It wasn't every day that the Allfather spoke of his shortcomings in open air. He realized after a moment that the pressure in his chest was more than the emotions running through and he coughed deeply.

Odin's hand came to rest on his back. "Rowen has been forcing that vile potion down my throat every two or three hours. Has he not done the same with you?"

"No one has brought any... in hours," Loki coughed out, feeling his body give a shudder against the fit.

"I thought he'd sent that boy of his. Beck, I believe," Odin grumbled, looking to the door for sign of someone to fetch the healer.

"I have not seen him since Thor and I returned this afternoon." Loki said. He reached up and put a hand to his chest. "My chest burns." he added.

Odin pushed himself to his feet, not liking the pallor his son's skin was taking, nor the harshness of his breathing. "Stay still, Loki. I will have one of them come to you."

Loki reached out as if to stop him from going, but Odin was already making his way to the door. The trickster let his hand fall to the floor, fingertips pressed against the marble. Letting his eyelids droop, he cast his mind back over the articles he'd read only that morning, the names and places. Strangers most, but not all had been so. If only he could focus enough to put the pieces together, but he was so sleepy. He heard his father's voice calling to someone in the hall, but he might as well have been on a different world or underwater for all the sense it made. He felt hot. The pieces were turning in his mind. He heard his brother's voice, reading the list of names to him over and over again.

They were all users of magic, talented in their own right. Many had sparred with Thor, some had been classmates of his when they were young, and even one name had belonged to a teacher that had he had actually felt he had learned something from at one point. They were dead now, none of them to breathe again. He felt his chest constrict and he coughed, tasting blood in the back of his throat. The medicine that Rowen had devised had kept most of the symptoms at bay, but he was overdue for the next dose. After all that had happened, he found it odd that he would meet his end in such a way.

"I'll see to him, sire. Please, go rest. You can do him no good here." Loki looked up, recognizing Beck's voice.

"I will check on you in the morning, my son. Rest well." Odin said. Loki could only nod, and father and son exchanged a long look before Odin made the journey back to his chambers and his sleeping wife.

After he was gone, Beck helped Loki to his feet and draped one of his arms around his shoulders. "This way, my prince."

They moved down the dark corridor slowly. Loki frowned. He did not recall it being so dark when he had come to the great hall. He also did not recall Thor's room being in the direction they were headed. "We are not going the right way." Loki said, fighting back a cough.

"Just a quick detour, my prince. Rowen has changed the potion a bit, it will help more with the pain." Beck said, keeping his eyes ahead.

"What change?" Loki asked.

"Do not trouble yourself, my prince. It is a lowly healer's business."

Loki stopped, causing Beck to stop as well. He couldn't explain the dread that was gathering within him, as if he were walking straight up to the pyre in his dream and climbing on it himself. His mind seemed to want to grasp at something, but he was so overcome with pain and sickness that he could not quite find what that something was. "Thor will be anxious," the prince managed.

"He will see you shortly."

"Can't you just deliver the potion to my chambers as you did before? Isn't that simpler?"

"No!" Beck snapped and then shrank back, leaving Loki to stumble and stand on his own. Even though they were close in age, the apprentice looked so much smaller, so much younger that he could have easily been a child ducking away for fear of being struck. "No, my lord, it is not," he amended his tone, inching towards the prince again. "We should go."

"I cannot." Loki said, pulling away from Beck and fumbling for the wall. "Go and fetch what you need. I will remain here."

"I cannot leave you here alone, my prince. Your brother and father would never forgive if something were to befall you while I was away." Beck said, voice soft and placating.

Loki's eyes narrowed. "We are in the inner halls of Asgard. What evil do you suppose would befall me here?"

Beck flushed and he grasped the hem of his tunic, nearly tearing the fabric in sharp, twisting movements. "I meant nothing like that, I assure you. I just meant that if you were to collapse and no one to assist you it would not go well for me."

"If you do act according to my wishes it will not go well for you, I _assure _you. No go." Loki commanded, voice not nearly as powerful as he would have liked.

Beck stilled, hands falling to his sides. He glanced down the hallway in either way, finding no help, nor hindrance. "I feared it would go this way. I always knew you were stubborn, much like your brother. Perhaps it runs in your family."

"What are you babbling about?" Loki growled irritably.

"Master Rowen is so determined to save you. He must not know you well at all." Beck stood up straight, showing himself to be of a greater height than Loki had every given him credit for. The apprentice squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. "Even your own family mistakes you. They think you've changed, or were never quite like we thought. Are you so great now, Prince Loki? Now that your life is dwindling from you?"

The teacher on the list of victims came to mind. Garnen, he remembered. The tutor with whom he had studied all those years ago had also tutored Beck. "You are more than just a lowly apprentice, I think." Loki said, sliding carefully away from him down the hall.

"So much more. I always was, but instead of becoming a brilliant success I had to learn to be a patient man instead."

"Your gifts are learned. That is quite an impressive amount of discipline, to learn such magic." Loki's vision blurred momentarily and he blinked rapidly to clear it. He was not certain of how far he could manage if he was forced to run, how much an attack would cost him if he could not run. There were not many options to like in his given situation.

Beck tilted his head, pale eyes calm. Too calm. "No. I have honed the skills the gods have granted me." He took a step towards the prince.

Loki tried to straighten up, gathering what was left of his strength. Beck had been decent when they had known each other. He was talented, certainly, but Loki was in a class all of his own. That is, he was when he was well. Even the gathering of magic around him seemed to sap all energy from the younger prince of Asgard and he felt the hallway begin to sway dangerously, chest constricting again and he began to cough, sinking to one knee after a moment. He couldn't bring himself back to his feet as the hacking continued and spots of blood dripped to the floor.

"Such a shame, is it not?" Beck asked, standing over him. "I tried to get you to the medicine, but you just wouldn't come. You were delirious with fever and illness and you just wouldn't come, my prince. I do hope your father forgives me, but I am only a lowly apprentice." The words were biting and he glared down at the adopted son of Odin, hatred rolling from him in waves.

Loki looked up at him and smiled, a terrible twisted smile highlighted by the blood on his teeth and lips. "If this is to be my fate, I shall wait for you in the afterlife. When my brother smashes your skill to pieces with Mjolnir, we shall discuss the true meaning of greatness. It is a less, low one, you shall not soon forget in this life or the next."

Rage sparked behind those pale eyes and Beck lost the self restraint he had been valiantly displaying as Loki had hoped he might. Beck lunged forward, fist swinging. There was no spell behind it, just an angry boy and a closed fist. Loki knew the next swing would be better powered. The small dagger slipped into his hand from a pocket in his sleeve and he drove it forward. His dizziness caused it to be not well aimed, but he landed it in Beck's arm as Loki feinted around him and stumbled away down the hall. Beck howled, more out of anger than pain.

The burst of magic was more powerful than he would have suspected and it sent Loki tumbling to the ground again, rolling until he was lying face down. The dark haired sorcerer struggled to his knees, his brother's name on his lips. The next hit sent him down and he felt the pressure keep him there. "Thor won't be able to save you now," Beck growled.

"He won't be able to put the pieces together until you're long gone and I'm safely away."

"Why?" Loki managed. Keep him talking. If he could keep him talking, he could make his addled brain come up with something akin to an escape plan.

"Why? Because I could do it. You are not beyond reach, my prince. Not the most talented in the realm after all." Beck said.

"Where will you go? To what end do you pursue this? I may be dead. Fine. Let me rest in peace for once. Who will credit it you with it? If you seize your glory you seize your end. 'Tis not a very well thought out plan." Loki said with crooked smile. He pulled himself halfway up, using the wall for leverage. Words curled around the edges of his mind and he focused on them. It would cost him, this trick, but he needed time. "Greatness among no one is no greatness at all. You will still be a lowly apprentice, or some neighborhood conjuror or healer. You are petty, nothing more." Loki continued. The flash of rage was back, Beck unable to weather the insults.

"You know _nothing_!" he bellowed, the walls themselves shaking in his anger.

Loki felt his support tremble beneath his hand and his green eyes widened ever so slightly. There was raw power there, uncurbed in the tantrum suddenly being thrown. All of the well-crafted control seemed to be melting away to leave a tattered, angry soul in its wake with illusions of pain and neglect. For the briefest of moments the dark haired prince stopped, eyes locking with the other mage's, and he saw a vision of himself. "It does not have to be this way." Loki said, voice hardly above a whisper.

Beck laughed then, the first time Loki had ever heard such a sound come from him and it was chilling. The boy slammed a fist against the wall and it cracked, the fissures spreading away from the impact as if the wall wished to run. "You are correct, my prince. It does not have to be this way."

Loki backed away, calling forth words in his mind as quickly as they would come. He felt the ice staff solidify in his fingers, pain radiating from deep within him. He had no choice. He had to fight, or he would die.

* * *

TBC

A/N: We usually write a couple chapters or so ahead of what I post, but we're almost caught up at this point. I'm afraid you may or may not see an update again for another day or two. Sorry! Please let us know what you think, as always. =)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Still a bit on the short side, but with Gabrielle Day's birthday festivities this weekend (everyone wish her a happy birthday!) we didn't get as much to write. It was a blast though XD

Also, I know I have a bad habit of looking over typos in general, but the reason that I am actually able to update at this hour is because I'm home sick for something I did to my shoulder. Still not sure what, just know that it hurts like hell. So I'm on some pills my doctor gave me. That will be my excuse at any blaring grammatical mistakes not fixed. =P

* * *

Thor threw open the door to the room the healer and his apprentices had taken up in with such force that it came off the top hinge and hung precariously. The resounding boom from his fist striking the heavy wood caused Freya to cry out and woke Rowen with a start. "Gods, boy, are you trying to cause an old man's heart to fail?" he growled, running a hand through unruly gray streaked hair.

"My brother is missing. My father said Beck led him away from the Great Hall near an hour ago. No medicine has been brought to our room since we went to sleep hours ago. Where is he?"

"Beck said that he would take Loki straight back to his chambers," Freya said, worry clouding her face. "He did not?"

"He did not," Thor concurred. "Something is wrong."

"You do not know that," Rowen sighed.

"He couldn't go long without the potion, Rowen. Something is wrong." The healer could not dispute the first statement, therefore no longer tried to argue the second. He sighed, pulling several bits of supplies together, including a small bowl that had been set over an open flame. He poured the contents into a mixture that half filled a vial, and then repeated the motion with the remainder into another vial. Carefully, as if handling a fragile flower, he took it up and held it carefully.

"What is that?" the golden prince asked, eyeing it uncertainly.

"The cure, if I'm not mistaken. It should be ready now. Freya, take the vial there to the king and tell him that I will deliver the other to his son."

She nodded, shooting Thor an uneasy look. "I'm sure your brother will be fine with it."

Thor could only nod in agreement. Freya gathered the vial carefully and quickly left for the king's chambers.

"I know I am not an academic sort, Rowen, but I know when my brother is in danger. I know when something is amiss and I feel it now." Thor said quietly.

"I will not deny that. The two of you have had an uncanny sense of each other ever since you were children." Rowen paused and took a deep breath. "I had named him my successor, you know."

"Make ready what you need for my brother. I am going to find him." Thor said.

A rumble grew, the sound coming from far within the inner halls. "What is that? Is this your doing?" Rowen asked.

Thor clenched his fists. "No. But it soon will be." The blond god ran into the hall and towards the source of the disturbance.

* * *

He barely dodged another round of power and he felt one knee give way, toppling him to the side. His chest constricted horribly, taking his much needed concentration away from the issue at hand and onto what should be the most basic of natural functions. He was a skilled fighter, trained, even if Thor had thought him useless for so long in battle. He had proved himself capable in more resent years again and again, but now he simply wished that his opponent would stop blurring before him.

Loki steadied himself again, feeling himself choke against the pain deep inside. This illness was feeding off of his magic and he was using quite a bit of it to fight. A hastily created shield was the only thing that kept him from being blown back with the next attack, but it did not stop him from sliding. With a pained breath he unleashed a hit that sent Beck back, delaying the angry man's next attack.

Loki coughed and wiped blood away from his lips with his sleeve. Beck righted himself and laughed again. "You haven't long, my prince. Let this be the final blow. You should not strain yourself any more than necessary!"

Loki closed his eyes as the blow was unleashed and felt strangely hollow when he realized he had nothing left in him to divert the attack. He muttered his brother's name, half prayer and half apology.

A thin ringing sound began as an echo in his ear and he titled his head. A breeze whispered by him and a thunderous boom roared around him, causing him to fall. The blow never hit him, and he never hit the ground as a strong arm gripped his shoulders. Loki dared to open his eyes. Mjolnir lay in the hall between him and Beck, a large chunk of the wall missing. He glanced up to see the furious face of his brother and had never been happier to behold it.

"It would appear that I've made him angry, but I am afraid I don't know why," Loki murmured with a half smile.

His brother quirked an eyebrow at what he might have considered an ill-timed jest. "You do have a talent for that. Stay here." He leaned the younger prince against the wall, turning back a moment later after he had slid safely to sit on the floor. Blue eyes lit as if lightning danced through them and thunder shook the palace as his hammer was called back to his hand. "Beck, you have betrayed us. Have you anything to say in your own defense?"

"I beg of you not to interfere, Prince Thor. My quarrel is not with you, but I will do battle with you if I must to finish what I have begun."

"That is not a defense," Thor warned, hefting Mjolnir in his hand. "So I beg of _you _to choose your next words carefully. You can have no quarrel with my brother without wishing one with me."

Beck nodded as if he had not expected any other response. "This is a known weakness of yours, my lord, if you will forgive me for saying so." Power began to radiate off of his form. "I have come too far to stop now, you must understand. I have finally come so far. No one could see it, you know, when we were children. I had talent, too. I had skills to be developed but power meant nothing without charm. I do lack charm. Your brother did not. No tutor saw anyone but him."

The amount of power growing concerned Loki. He did not know if his brother could sense it like he could, but Thor did not look the slightest bit inclined to back away. "Thor," he murmured, bracing his hands against the wall.

Every being had their limits, and, if they were considered immortal gods or not, even Asgardians had limits. Green eyes watched wild pale ones as the power sparked through them, contained only by a shell that looked as if it could easily be shattered. Beck might be powerful enough to summon the energy, but he was not powerful enough to control it. Loki reached out and grabbed his brother's wrist, yanking him back towards the door. "We have to go," he gasped, his own voice louder than he expected with the energies swirling around them.

The buzz of Thor's lightning clashed with Beck's power, sending sparks in all directions. The doors slammed shut. "You won't escape," Beck said calmly. "There's no way out, and I will destroy everything that I can to bring you down with it."

"You'll destroy yourself!" Loki cried out, death grip on his brother's arm.

Thor glanced back at him, questions in his eyes. He knew his brother would have a plan – he always did, at one point or another – he just couldn't quite pick up on what it was.

"Then so be it," Beck answered and he gave a small, almost peaceful smile as he let go, power exploding outward.

* * *

Loki couldn't have been sure where he pulled the strength from. He had, he was sure, spent all that he had left. He had heard Thor's mortal friends speak of an adrenaline rush that enabled them to do things that they might not have done any other time. Fear, desperation... Any number of things he could cause it. He made a mental note to research to see if that were something that should affect him.

He felt the breath leave his lungs and his knees gave out, Thor catching him.

"Are we dead?" he asked, as if he were just checking a fact.

"No, I think it worked," Loki breathed, wrapping shaking arms around his brother's neck to keep himself upright.

"How did you teleport us both such a distance?" Thor eased himself so he was sitting on the ground, Loki resting against him.

Loki closed his eyes, willing his body into submission. He needed more time, but a break did not seem to be forthcoming. "It is not such a great distance, I am afraid. We will not be able...we will not...cannot stay here long." Loki said.

Thor rubbed his back, and he was grateful for the motion as his muscles relaxed slightly. "He has held this grudge for a very long time." the blond god mused.

"An enemy within one's head is harder to defeat than one that is without." Loki replied. "Thor, I have been too long without that damned medication."

The sound of an explosion not far from them caused them both to jump. An angry cry echoed off the walls. "I will get you to Rowen. Then I must stop Beck. There are too many people in the halls for him to continue this rampage."

Loki gave a shudder, holding tightly to his brother until the spasm passed. "He won't be able to hold out long."

Thor kissed the top of Loki's dark head and scooped him up, holding him closely. His breathing was ragged, the heat was once again radiating off of him, and the blond had not missed the blood on his lips. Beck might not last long, but neither would Loki.

"I'm sorry."

Thor startled, looking down to where the smaller god was curled against him. "What for?" he asked gently. "Surely you know this is not your fault."

"No more than my anger at you was your fault." He took another jarred breath. "I've never apologized. Not really. I... I am many things, Thor, and many of them are not good, but...But no matter what, I _was_ being sincere that day."

"What day?" Thor murmured, picking up his pace down the hall with each quieting word that fell from his brother's mouth. "Your coronation. I do love you, brother."

Thor's heart twisted within him, not unknowing of what could drive his brother to admission. His throat was tight and tears stung at his eyes, but he refused them and forced a soft smile onto his lips. They were words he never imagined he would hear from his brother again, even after they had recovered from the Tesseract. "Oh, Loki. And I you, my brother."

Loki touched his cheek briefly, a small smile echoing his brother's on his face. Thor would have run if not for the fear of jostling Loki too much. A shout at the end of the hall drew his attention and he saw Freya, hand upheld. Light glinted off a small vial and hope swelled in his heart. "Loki," he started to say when the wall next to where Freya was standing exploded in a blur of flying stone and fire.

Thor felt as if he had been hit in the way that the breath left his lungs all at once. He gripped his brother closely.

Beck appeared, looking very little like the young apprentice they had been dealing so closely with. His skin was pale, almost translucent, with veins pulsing visibly and eyes even paler than they usually were. He looked like a man nearly dead, but held himself so tall it might have been that he refused to accept the end until there were no other course to take. "You will not deny me!" he screamed, stones flying in all directions.

Thor ducked and turned, one striking his shoulder where it may have hit his brother before the movement. He couldn't find it in himself to set Loki down, for fear that there would be no way to get back to him quickly enough if something should go wrong. That, and there was a nagging part of him that couldn't help but notice how still the young prince had become, his eyes lulling so much that they might as well have been closed behind dark lashes. So instead Thor shifted his weight, gripping Mjolnir in his hand. "Stand down, Beck. There is still time to undo these things you have attempted. Odin is saved. There is time still for my brother. You can be more than an apprentice if you choose." Thor said, calculating what it would take to make the throw that would bring Beck down.

Beck laughed, the hollow sound echoing through the destroyed hall. "Patronizing me will not stop this. All of their deaths are on my hands. The ones dead now and the ones that would have been dead had it not been for Rowen, damn him." The air crackled with unconstrained energy. "At least this way I can finish you both with one blow."

Thor aimed Mjolnir and pulled back for the release. Beck brought one hand forward and unleashed a dazzling attack. Mjolnir met it in the middle, deviating the blow from its course. Beck smiled and in a split second brought his other hand up. There was no way Thor could summon Mjolnir back to him in time. He turned quickly, covering Loki as best he could. The energy struck the ceiling above them, raining down debris on the thunder god.

Beck screamed, the sound of pain not anger and Thor turned to see a battered and bloody Freya with a knife in the young apprentice's back. Beck whirled, furious and struck the girl down.

It was as if that movement sapped the remnants of his energy. All at once he sank to his knees, blood staining his garments and he looked desperately to where Thor was brushing parts of the ceiling off of himself, an unconscious Loki clutched in his arms. The smile returned, twisted and malicious. "I've killed him then," he mumbled out as his eyes slipped closed and he pitched forward to lie sprawled across the debris he had brought down.

* * *

TBC

A/N: So, I finally broke down and started to watch Supernatural recently. Just got to say, for any fans out there, this is an amazing show. Absolutely loving it so far! Anyway, please let us know what you think, as always!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Anyone watching the Olympics? Those gymnists are amazing. I would just fall flat on my face lol. Fantastically talented people,

* * *

Freya sat up, eyes wide with both fear and determination as she leapt to her feet. "Thor!" she called, voice shaking. "Thor, I have it. I kept it safe! Does he still breathe?" She was stumbling over the rubble now, hands trembling, but she clutched the vile in them. Tears spilled down her rosy cheeks as she held it out to the elder prince.

Thor eased Loki to the ground, cradling his head in his hands and lowered his face to Loki's, head titled to feel breath. "Barely. Give me the vial." Thor said through gritted teeth.

Freya carefully uncorked the vial and handed it to Thor. Thor slipped his arm under Loki's back, hand in dark hair supporting his head. He very slowly tipped the vial against his brother's lips, the liquid spilling into Loki's mouth. Finally, Thor tipped it all the way up, the last drop leaving the vial. As soon as it was open he dropped it and brushed his fingers against Loki's throat before pulling him back into his arms. "Loki?" he asked softly. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against the pale cheek, praying with all his might that they had not been too late. "Loki," he whispered, "stay with me. Please."

Freya knelt beside him, skillful hands checking for a pulse. A small, hopeful smile graced her lips. "It will take time."

"But it worked?"

The smile faded, replaced with a stern look that he had seen Rowen wear when he was truly concerned. "It will take time, my lord. He should rest."

Thor nodded, standing with his brother held very securely in his arms.

* * *

Thor had always known what it was to be the at the center of everyone's attention. Stark called it "being in the lime light." He still wasn't entirely sure what that phrase meant, but he assumed the gist of the statement fairly well. As children, and even into their adult years prior to the chaos of the last few years, he had always outshone his younger brother. Verbose and thunderous, it was no question that the kingdom as a whole had always seen more from the elder prince than his slight, sometimes even shy sibling.

Until very recent times Thor had given Loki's talent for magic as little thought as he could spare. It was useful enough in a pinch, but other than that he had viewed it as a crutch that his brother must have been leaning on to avoid his shortcomings in battle.

The golden prince snorted as he sat by his brother's bedside, comparisons of the then and now floating through his mind. They had never given each other enough credit in their youth, no matter how much care they held for one another. It never would have crossed Thor's mind that someone might have been jealous of his little brother. It may not have even crossed Loki's mind as far as he knew of it.

Loki gave a small groan, pulling the blond from his thoughts. He stirred, eyes shut tightly against whatever dreams plagued him, and one large hand smoothed his hair from his face. "Please wake up," Thor pleaded again. It had been the same thing for hours. Rowen had been in and out, assuring Thor that their father was well on his way to recovery and that Loki was sure to follow.

Thor had briefly left his post to change and dress his own abrasions before returning to his place sitting on the bed beside his brother, murmuring quietly to him. Gradually Loki's color began returning and his breathing evened out to a steady rhythm that allowed Thor to relax somewhat.

He could hear Rowen conversing softly with Freya behind them, snatches of conversation regarding Beck's family and what they would do with him. He had managed to survive, if just, and was being attended to by younger apprentices watched over by many, many guards. Thor already knew what would become of him. He would be tried, and he would be sent to Hel for his crimes, and by Thor personally, if he had any say in the matter.

Daylight faded slowly away into evening and Thor had begun to doze, half resting against the headboard when Loki's fingers tightened around his own.

Blue eyes blinked wearily open and came to rest on the still sleeping face. Loki had shuffled closer in his slumber, thin fingers reaching out. "Brother?" the thunder god whispered gently.

Very slowly, green eyes began to flutter open, heavy still with sleep and exhaustion. "Thor?" he croaked out.

"I'm here, brother," the blond assured him. "How do you feel?"

"As if I've slept too long," the younger prince said truthfully. He stopped, mind whirling to put together the events. "Are you well?"

"As well as I can be," Thor chuckled, pulling back the collar of his shirt to show the bandages there. "It will heal. I am more irritated with the damn sneezing and coughing I still haven't gotten rid of yet."

Loki smiled, nestling down into his pillow. "Poor Thor. So tortured," he teased gently.

Thor smiled broadly. "Less so, now. Can you sit up? Rowen charged me with giving you a broth when you awoke."

Loki nodded. "I think so." He reached up and Thor grasped his arms, gently pulling him up and easing pillows behind him. Loki studied Thor's face as his older brother reached for a short pitcher and poured the contents into a cup. There was still great tension in his face, around his eyes and in the set of his mouth, which was -for the moment- unsmiling. "He is not dead, then." the sorcerer guessed.

Thor handed Loki the cup after making sure it was not too hot to be held. He shook his head. "No. Freya is quite brave, but she knew not where to place the fatal blow."

Loki did not hide his puzzlement. "Freya?"

Thor's expression became amused. "We were saved by a girl."

Loki straightened, his eyes speaking volumes even as he sipped from the cup. _I won't say if you won't_, was the silent truce between them.

Thor gave a small snort of laughter.

"I take it Rowen found the cure?" Loki asked at last, feeling a bit stronger with the broth in him.

"Mmm," his brother agreed.

"Father is well? Everyone else?"

"It would seem everyone is making a recovery that was still with us."

"Then what is troubling you? I should think Father would have Beck well and truly locked up, so what is there to fret over?"

Thor sighed. He couldn't put it into words, and he knew that if he tried he would simply stumbled and trip over them to such an extent that Loki would never be able to understand what he was trying to say. Hel, he didn't think that he knew what he was trying to say. He hated Beck for harming those he cared about, that was true, but he hated him even more for becoming what Loki had been. He hated that those memories had been put well behind them and that there was a taunting glimpse of what Loki might have done if he had not been there to stop him. To bring him to his senses. He hated Beck for showing him that, even if he knew - he just _knew_ - he should mourn for him, perhaps even feel sympathy for his pain. He should, but all he could feel was a deep-seeded hate and a longing to never be forced to remember those days again.

Loki handed Thor the empty cup and scooted closer when he turned to place it on the bedside table. When Thor turned back he pretended not to notice, but leaned back against the headboard again and carefully draped an arm over Loki's shoulders. "I understand him." Loki said after a while. Thor sighed, but said nothing. Loki nudged him with his elbow. "Is that what troubles you?"

Thor shook his head. "I saw him in that hall and I saw you on Stark's tall tower, when this," he squeezed Loki's arm, "was nothing but a memory and never to be again. I do not hold on to many things -much to your chagrin- but those are things that even I cannot revisit often. Plus he had no right to act as he did. All those mages and what he did to you...it would have been better if the knife had gone through what remained of his heart."

Loki took a moment, letting his elder brother's words sink in and allowing his own thoughts to formulate. Finally, he let out a low breath that he hadn't even realized that he was holding back. "Thor, are you listening, brother?"

"Yes."

Loki tilted his head, trying to catch his elder sibling's eyes. "Listen."

"I'm listening," the blond grumbled, bringing a small smile to thin lips.

"There are many similarities between Beck and I, and I see them just as clearly as you do. As many would, but... There is something different."

Thor gave him a questioning look. "He's completely evil?" he ventured a guess, causing his brother to laugh.

"Well... That debate could go on. Not what I was getting at." He stopped, shifted, and finally relaxed leaning against Thor. "He has no one. I had my brother to pull me from the abyss."

Thor ducked his head, but Loki did not miss the pleased look in his eyes. "I am pleased you feel that way. I only wish I had seen the fracture growing between us long before it came to a head." he said, slipping his hand over his brother's.

Loki closed his eyes and turned his palm up to meet Thor's. "Perhaps that is something we can share. I hear that burdens shared are not as heavy to carry."

"Perhaps." Thor agreed. "And perhaps we can keep you out of the healing rooms for a prolonged period of time, yes? We are going to have to do nothing but feed you for weeks lest you vanish sideways, my brother."

Loki couldn't stop from chuckling. "I think perhaps some time away from the healing rooms would be well deserved, for both of us. Perhaps we can even visit Midgard. You have yet to properly introduce me to your... friend there. Jane?"

"Yes," Thor said with some wariness in his voice. "Why should you want to meet her?"

Loki's broad smile was nothing but teeth and charm. "Oh, you know... Someone should warn her about your wild youth."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? There are so many stories that she might find interesting. Perhaps the one in which you were caught in Vanaheim..."

"We decided that you would never speak of that again!"

"You decided that. I simply filed it away for a day of better use."

Their friendly banter continued on until they had both worn themselves out. Loki glanced up when soft snores begin to sound from his elder brother. "Good night, Thor," he whispered, not loud enough to wake him. "And thank you."

* * *

END

A/N: I have good news and I have bad news. If all goes as planned, Gabrielle Day and I will start writing the next installment tomorrow evening after work. That's the good news. The bad news is that it is it is the last one on our writing queue for this fandom. *hides* One more to go! Stay tuned, it should start here in the next few days =)


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